Gretchen Witt is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the states of Massachusetts and New York. Her prior clinical experience includes working with adults (ages 18 to 80+) encountering divorce, job loss, bereavement, physiological changes linked with aging, gender-identity transition, and diagnosis with chronic diseases (Diabetes, Lupus, Lyme, Chron’s, etc.); young adults (age 18+) who are leaving home for the first time to enter college or choose a career path; individuals who have recently become new parents; parents managing a work-life balance; parents encountering “the empty nest syndrome”; women who have recently returned to independent living following prison release; terminally-ill individuals in hospice and end-of-life care; individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including those on the autism spectrum, those recovering from a stroke, those with traumatic brain injuries) and intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) men and women navigating intimate relationships involving domestic violence.

Every individual deserves to find a meaningful sense of purpose, direction, and belonging. Many individuals find themselves wanting the support of counseling following loss or change; presenting to therapy without an identified catalyst does not preclude Gretchen’s thorough understanding of and support for individuals living with the everyday burden of managing major depressive disorder, bipolar depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, personality disorders, eating disorders, alcohol and substance abuse problems, and more. Individuals questioning their sexual identity, LGBTQ, and BIPOC clients are welcome and will be affirmed as their authentic selves.

Gretchen is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She has found the DBT approach to be widely, and wildly, helpful for clients with treatment-resistant depression and mood disorders. Gretchen has leadership experience in group settings, having led two (2) DBT groups for more than three (3) years, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy groups, Social Skills Groups, and The Skills Systems (emotion regulation techniques for those with different abilities).

In addition to DBT, other therapeutic modalities used in individual sessions with Gretchen include psychodynamic techniques, narrative therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Culturally Sensitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), creative arts therapy, and expressive arts therapy. Clients interested in mind-body based philosophies (yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, QiGong), clients engaged in twelve-step recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon, and clients whose religious faith is a strong source of support, are welcome to discuss and incorporate these (or similar practices) into their larger treatment plan while working in therapy.